Barnsbury Estate

• THE residents of the Barnsbury Estate have been concerned at the lack of clarity on key aspects of the proposed redevelopment of the estate coming from Newlon, (Estate vision unveiled for 10-year transformation, June 17).

We have three key concerns: the status of rehousing existing overcrowded households; the proposed social segregation between leaseholders and social tenants; and the status of Old Barnsbury.

Many families in Newlon accommodation are overcrowded and have two households within one such as parents and adult children. Despite our repeated questions to Newlon on how this will be dealt with, no answers are forthcoming.

The redevelopment will see current leaseholders move into leaseholder-only blocks along with new leaseholders buying onto the estate.

Many residents are uncomfortable that leaseholders will have different, lower density, buildings situated around the green space and by Barnard park.

While Newlon and Mount Anvil have proposed grand plans for New Barnsbury, the proposals for Old Barnsbury are weak and Newlon have not even clarified who will carry out the work.

Initially the two projects were on the same planning application and the same vote for redevelopment but Newlon have bizarrely separated the planning applications despite winning the transformation vote Barnsbury-wide.

Newlon spent many months speaking of grand plans on eco-friendly heating systems and extensions but it has not actually submitted a planning application to carry this out. Residents feel misled.

Overall the feeling on the estate is that Newlon is not adequately engaging with residents. They attained a ballot of residents during lockdown when no neighbours could discuss plans. Some had even felt pressured to vote as a result of managed decay by Newlon.

Every point raised by residents is disregarded as there is the attitude that the estate vote is a blank cheque. It is not. We residents hope that the council listens even if Newlon does not.

CHAIR, BARNSBURY RESIDENTS GROUP